


Conflicting Circumstances

by OfCabbagesandKings10647



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Abortion, Accidental Fae Deals Involving Babies, Actual infidelity is on Subaki's part, Emotional Infidelity, Ends Arthur/Severa, F/M, I really hate Subaki in general so that's part of why he's like that, Implied/Referenced Abortion, Infidelity, Like just so unlikeable, Pregnancy, Spousal Neglect, Starts off Subaki/Selena, Subaki is a total asshole, The HumanTraveler!Arthur/Elf!Selena(Severa) AU that literally no one asked for, i think since Selena/Severa never actually liked Subaki to begin with?, the name change is important and will be explained
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:07:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29524773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfCabbagesandKings10647/pseuds/OfCabbagesandKings10647
Summary: When a band of travelers is ambushed by a group of goblins, the three who escape are lucky to make it out alive. Discovered by human-friendly elves, the three are taken back to the village to recover, only to have their stay continuously extended by unforeseen circumstances. Conflict is a constant, but despite it all, friendships are made and love is found.Or: I had a HumanTraveler!Arthur/Elf!Selena(Severa) AU idea, and I came up with the plot so quickly I had to start it immediately.
Relationships: Aqua | Azura/Lazward | Laslow, Elise/Odin (Fire Emblem), Harold | Arthur/Luna | Selena, Harold | Arthur/Serena | Severa, Henry/Tiamo | Cordelia, Original Male Character(s)/Original Female Character(s), Tsubaki | Subaki/Original Female Character
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I know at the time of posting this I have two other WIPs, but the idea for this came so fast I had to start it. 
> 
> It also seems the joke I made to my friend about flooding AO3 with ArthurxSelena/Severa fics was actually serious because I just love this goddamn ship so damn much.
> 
> As said in the tags, this fic starts off Subaki/Selena and ends Arthur/Severa. The name change for Selena/Severa is important, which will be explained later. If you like Subaki or Subaki/Selena, this story isn’t for you. I personally hate Subaki, so he’s the “male “threat”” to the Arthur/Severa(Selena) ship in pretty much every fic I have planned for them.

* * *

A group of men trekked through a certain forest, the sun shining and the birds chirping, putting them at ease. Though there could be hostile beings anywhere around them (they were in the woods after all) this particular forest was known to be one of the safer ones, with less frequent sightings of monsters around here than in other parts of the world.

The men were returning from a trade run, escorting several wagons full of various goods and items back to their village, enough that would last them until mid-summer. The men were in good spirits, some of them singing a song as they made their way through.

“Arthur, c’mon, sing with us!” one of the men exclaimed, falling in step with one of his companions.

The man addressed, Arthur, regarded the other, his attention turning from their surroundings. “I’ll leave that to you Inigo, someone has to keep watch.”

The other man, Inigo, shrugged and fell back, rejoining the other men who were singing gaily. Arthur returned to checking their environment, his eyes and ears looking for anything the slightest bit suspicious.

A roar of laughter caused Arthur to turn his head back, smiling despite himself at how carefree the others were. It turned out that this was a most fortunate action for him to take, because just as he turned, an arrow whizzed by his face, just barely missing him. The arrow instead embedded itself into the boards of one of the wagons, hitting with a resounding thunk.

The cheery atmosphere instantly sobered, and the men quickly drew their weapons, a wild cry coming from above them just as the treetops opened up and a battalion of goblins jumped out at them.

The area quickly dissolved into chaos, the surprised men fighting for their lives as the goblins surrounded them, separating them all from each other.

While goblins were never to be taken lightly, these goblins in particular were exceptionally skilled, and as the men were each cornered each of them fell, their blood spilling and soaking the ground.

Arthur was still somehow alive, fighting desperately but in a losing battle as his comrades fell. Glancing around as he was surrounded, he saw the only two others alive were his friends Inigo and Owain, somehow managing to stay back-to-back as they too fended off attacks in a doomed attempt at survival.

Arthur parried and blocked swings from the monsters as he managed to make his way over to the other two, the three of them joining up together. Slowly they tried to make their way to an outside edge, though they were quickly tiring. Owain landed a lucky hit and a goblin fell, clearing a path to escape.

“Run!” Owain cried, and the three of them darted off, the furious screams from the goblins sending fear down their spines. The three of them ran and ran until they could no longer hear the monsters behind them, yet still they continued on, unaware that they were heading deeper and deeper into the forest, disoriented in their terror.

Eventually, they came to a stop, unable to run any longer, panting hard as they tried to catch their breaths. Looking around, they realized they were deep in the forest, the trees above blocking out most of the light from the sun, the vegetation around them wild.

“Where... Where are we?” Owain panted, his sword dropping to the ground.

“I’m... not sure.” Arthur responded, his hands on his knees as he tried to recover his breath, his own sword having caught on some foliage and ripped out of his hand in their escape.

“Um... guys?”

“Ye... Yeah Inigo?”

“I don’t... want to alarm you... but I might have a problem.”

Owain and Arthur turned to their friend, immediately alarmed when they saw an arrow sticking out from the back of one of his shoulders. Luckily it didn’t look very deep, but an open wound was still an open wound, and as such a dangerous thing.

Owain immediately sprang into action, helping Inigo onto the ground as he examined the wound.

“Arthur,” Owain commanded, his gaze shooting to his friend, “Take Inigo’s sword and take a look around but don’t go too far, we don’t need you getting lost. Return immediately if something feels off.”

Arthur nodded, hurrying over and collecting Inigo’s sword as directed, and with one last look at his companions walked off, carefully and quietly as he scouted the area out.

Arthur got about 300 feet away when he heard rustling in the bushes ahead of him. Freezing in place, Arthur’s sword shot up, pointed at the bush just as someone walked out of it.

The figure froze, wide-eyed when they saw Arthur, taking a step back at the sight of the sword.

“P-please, lower your weapon, I don’t mean any harm.”

The person in front of him was a short, but exceptionally pretty woman, dressed in a flowy green dress. Her long, white hair was held in two pigtails, coming all the way down to her waist. Arthur took note of her hand on her slightly rounded abdomen, and almost lowered his weapon when he realized she was pregnant. But then he saw her ears.

Her ears extended from her head, going back and upward into tapered points. Though both the ears and the woman herself seemed to hold an air of delicacy, Arthur knew she was anything but delicate. This woman was an elf.

Arthur glared at the other, unwilling to lower his arm. “Not a chance... you’re an elf. I’m a human. You elves aren’t known to be the... friendliest towards my kind.”

The elf woman grimaced, taking a step backward. “I-I promise I’m not like that, please, you’re injured, let me help you-”

The sound of laughter and more rustling startled the both of them, and they turned to the source of the noise as two more elf women stepped out of the bushes, one with loose, long blue hair and the other with blonde hair, similarly to the first elf put up into pigtails.

“Selena, there you are- oh!”

Arthur turned his sword onto the newcomers, anxiety rising in his stomach now that he was thoroughly outnumbered.

The blue-haired elf stepped towards him, not paying mind to the sword pointed in her face. “You there, human, are you alright? You’re injured.”

Arthur took a few steps back, realizing that the elves were correct and he was slightly more injured than he had originally thought. There were cuts and scrapes on his arms and hands, and his side had a shallow cut that he hadn’t noticed before. 

“Human, fear not, we are not going to harm you. We are Dawn Dragon Elves, by our laws we do not initiate hostile actions on humans.”

When the elf woman revealed what group they were from, Arthur’s sword lowered slowly, a sense of relief filling him. He had heard the stories of the Dawn Dragon Elves. Though their settlement was elusive and impossible to find due to being hidden by magic, they were known throughout the land for being exceedingly kind and accepting of humans, going so far as to care for lost and injured travelers and adopting children who had been abandoned in their woods. Arthur let out a small sigh of relief. This was good, he and the others were safe.

“I’ve heard stories of your village, I must say I’m relieved to hear that you are members of that group... If you could be so kind, there are two others with me that need help too, a bit further back.”

At hearing that there were others with him, the blonde elf lit up, and immediately took off to the area Arthur had pointed out, the blue-haired elf following closely behind. Arthur was left with the elf who first came upon him, and he sheathed his sword, holding out a hand to shake. 

“My name is Arthur, I apologize for my earlier hostility... I’ve been through a lot today.”

The elf woman smirked and shook the offered appendage, a surprising strength in her grip despite how tiny she was. “So it would seem. You may call me Selena.”

A shout from behind them caused Arthur to turn around. Realizing his companions were probably alarmed by the elves, he and Selena rushed to the others.

Owain had his sword raised at the other two elves, a fierce look on his face as he stood in front of Inigo, effectively shielding the wounded man from them.

“Owain, wait!” 

Owain looked past his targets, and seeing Arthur was fine dropped his sword slightly, still suspicious. 

“Arthur, are you alright?” Owain asked, his gaze flicking from his friend to the elves.

“I’m fine Owain, they’re here to help us, they’re Dawn Dragon Elves.”

Owain stood with his sword arm raised for a moment more as his face cleared, relief filling his features before he too sheathed his sword. 

“Dawn Dragon Elves, huh? Looks like fortune is shining on us boys.”

“My name is Azura,” the blue-haired elf said, introducing herself, “and this is my sister Elise. We are princesses of the Dawn Dragon Elves, and this is our friend Selena.”

“I’m Owain, and the one you’ve already met, in case he didn’t tell you, is Arthur, and this one is Inigo.”

Azura, Elise, and Selena nodded their acknowledgment of the names. Azura moved to help Inigo up, before addressing them all. 

“Let us get back to the village, you all need medical attention immediately.”

And with that the group departed, Azura with Inigo in the front, followed by Owain and Elise with Arthur and Selena in the back. As they made their way deeper into the forest, Arthur said a prayer of thanks for whatever had been looking out for them that day, thankful that at least the three of them had survived and were now in good, safe hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So according to what I have in the planning doc, this should be a shorter fic, much less complex than my “porn with plot” fic I am working on, and much more light-hearted than the current arc of my other fic. The idea came to me and I had the major points of the story planned out in an hour, and now that certain scenes are coming to me I find I have no choice but to also start this one.


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

As Azura supported Inigo while leading the group, the light of the sun became weaker as the tree canopy above them thickened, and slowly the forest fell into silence, sounds falling away as they continued deeper into the forest.

While normally such otherworldly silence would have put them on edge, the three wounded travelers instead were filled with a sense of peace and safety. The natural light around them dimmed, instead replaced by what seemed to be some sort of faint glow from the trees around them.

The foliage around them thickened, almost becoming impossible to walk through. It suddenly thinned just as it seemed passage would be impossible, a path making itself clear under their feet.

The darkness around them continued to take hold, and now it was certain that the trees were glowing. The air itself filled with orbs of light, floating around gently in the air and softly glowing, washing the scenery with a pale bluish-white.

Up ahead of them an entryway of twisted branches and leaves materialized, roughly 20 feet wide, and pitch-black inside of it. The men hesitated slightly, their steps dragging as they passed into the darkness, feeling a faint prickle of magic as they passed through. They walked in the inky blackness for only a moment before it broke, a bright light flooding their vision, effectively blinding them.

As their eyes adjusted, the men were greeted first by what they assumed was a stable, slightly to the left of the entrance. To say it was massive was an understatement as it stretched out before them. The structure itself appeared to be made of wood and mud and covered with vines and greenery, though at second inspection showed that the foliage was actually a part of the structure itself, snaking and twisting in and out of the mud walls. The structure itself seemed to be built into the wall of the village, and the sound of grazing beasts drifted through the entrance to the building.

To the right of the village entrance was another structure, what appeared to be some sort of receiving station for hunted animals. The sound of knives hitting wood came from the building, and through a window they could see what appeared to be skinned animal carcasses hanging from the walls and ceilings.

The landscape was dotted with trees and bushes, some bearing fruit and nuts, and except for places worn down to dirt from frequent travel, the ground was covered in grass and flowers.

The group walked down the path into the village, and the men were led into a building next to the butcher house. They were greeted by an elderly elf, who must have been hundreds of years old, though there was still a sharp intelligence in his eyes, assessing the men as they walked through the door.

“Princess Azura, Princess Elise, Lady Selena.” The elf man greeted with a bow, before turning towards a wall that was lined with bottles of herbs and other medical supplies.

“Take a seat, younglings, give me just a moment.”

Arthur, Owain, and Inigo each sat on one of the 10 cots that were pushed against a wall. The medic brought over a salve and bandages and assessed Inigo first due to the risk of poisoning from the end of the arrow still sticking from his shoulder, though finding no trace of any such substance when it was properly removed. The medic praised the work Owain had been able to do of cleaning the shoulder wound as he applied the salve to Inigo’s shoulder, wrapping it in a bandage and muttering a healing incantation, the rest of his more minor wounds closing up instantly.

The medic moved on to Arthur and had him pull off his ruined shirt. Assessing the gash in his side, which was deeper than Arthur had first thought but not majorly serious, the medic applied the salve to his wound, wrapping a bandage around his torso, and again closed his minor wounds with the incantation. The medic then turned and searched through a small wardrobe, pulling out a simple, correctly sized shirt and giving it to Arthur.

Owain was the luckiest of the bunch, his injuries consisting of only minor cuts and bruises, and so all he needed was the healing spell before the medic deemed him okay, if not a little roughed up.

“Now you two take it easy, and take this and apply it twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening before you sleep, and have your guardian help you wrap a bandage over the salve. The arrow wound should heal in a few days, but _you_ will need to be careful. If you don’t do too much physical activity the wound should heal in a week and a half. You can go to any of the medical huts in the town and they’ll provide you with more supplies should you run out.”

Inigo and Arthur each received a jar of the salve and a bundle of bandage wraps, thanking the medic. The elder nodded and turned to address the elf women.

“Now then, you know the laws of the village. These men are in your care until they leave, so treat them well.”

The women nodded and beckoned for the travelers to follow them, leading them out of the medical building and thanking the elder as they left.

The women led them further into the village, greeted by elves and humans alike as they passed, responding with their own greetings. The group passed what looked like various shops, each specializing in something specific, members of the village moving in and out as they attended to their errands.

The main path past the shops split into three, leading to what seemed to be residential buildings. Like the other buildings, the homes themselves seemed to be alive, made of wood and mud and foliage, and each house shared with its neighbors a stone fence roughly 4 and a half feet tall, denoting the lines of each family’s property. Though for the most part looking the same, each house had a unique gate that signaled the start of each property, and the door at the house’s entrance matched the gate in design and color.

“Now then,” Azura said once they had reached the fork. “Inigo and Owain are under my and Elise’s care respectively, and Arthur you are under Selena’s care while you are guests here. It is a law of the village that whoever finds a lost or injured traveler is the guardian of that traveler until they leave, though the guardian’s family is also responsible for the guest’s wellbeing. We will meet up tomorrow to give you all a proper tour, but until then, Inigo, Owain, you will be coming with me and my sister to the palace, and Arthur you will be staying with Selena’s family.”

The men looked at each other, silently accepting the rules of the village, nodding farewell as they went their separate ways until the next day.

Arthur followed next to Selena, taking in the sights of the village, watching as children with both human and elf ears ran past, laughing and enjoying the last of the sun before needing to return to their respective homes. Adult elves and humans were walking the path as well, some taking a slow pace and others walking quickly, though all carrying themselves in a relaxed manner.

It was getting to be around time for supper, evidenced by the smell of food wafting from open windows, and Arthur felt his stomach clench and rumble in hunger.

“When we get to my home dinner should be about ready to eat, so you’ll not need to wait long.”

“Thank you for your hospitality. I must admit that even though I’ve heard the stories of this place I was unprepared for how giving you’ve all been so far.”

Selena looked up at him, smiling. “Really you have the Dragonkin of the Naga clan to thank. They taught us to appreciate and respect the lives of humans as they do, and now thousands of years later you see the community before you, named after the Naga clan as a remembrance and thanks for the lesson of humanity.”

“I am proud of my heritage,” Selena continued, smiling as another mixed group of children ran by, “Without it, we would not have the advances in technology and magic that we do. The longevity and respect for tradition of the elf race combined with the ingenuity and constant progress of human-kind truly have made us better. It’s a shame that other elf villages do not feel the same.”

Selena approached a gate, swinging it open and stepping past it, holding it open for Arthur to step through.

Arthur felt more magic as he passed through the gate, his eyes widening as the land in front of him changed, the space becoming bigger and more decorated. From the outside, it would seem as though it was just a small yard of grass, but after passing through the gate Arthur saw that there was quite a bit of space and detail. 

Selena’s home had a small shed in the corner next to several gardening beds, growing a wide variety of vegetables. Arthur was able to pick out lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, and an assortment of peppers among other things from the distance. There was a bench in the yard, and perched on the back was a large white raven, which flew over and landed on Selena’s shoulder, nuzzling against her cheek in greeting, before taking flight and switching its perch to a potted plant next to the house’s door.

Selena continued into the property after the raven, following a path to the entrance, Arthur following close behind. The door into the home was made of a black wood, with details of gold embedded into it. In the center of the door was a gold knocker, coming out of an intricate design on the door itself that resembled a sort of flower, lines twisting and curving through and from it. The handle to the door was also gold, the knob a rhombus shape with its longest points pointing horizontally, a line coming out from one of the ends and splitting, looping backward and joining with each point.

Selena opened the door and let her and Arthur in, calling out a greeting to whoever was making the sounds and smells of dinner being prepared.

The floor of the small foyer area was a dark slate, and there were a few sets of shoes in front of a step that went into the home itself, the floor changing into wood as it went in. A short almost hall led into the home, and Arthur could see ahead of him that there were several couches and armchairs arranged in a circle around a coffee table, a glass door into the yard on the opposite side. Selena guided him in after they removed their shoes, and the left wall opened up into a kitchen, an open doorway to a pantry splitting it in the middle, and a long dining table set sitting between the kitchen and lounge area. On the other wall of the entry hall was a corridor that led to several rooms, and there appeared to be a closet at the end of it.

In the kitchen were three women, two preparing dinner and the third sitting at the dining table. Of the two cooking, the younger one had long, flowing red hair, and the older one had her white hair held up in a bun. Like Selena, both of the women were rather short. The woman at the table was absorbed in a book and was clearly the oldest of them, her hair grey and running down her back in a braid.

The red-haired woman looked up from her work and greeted Selena, her eyes lingering on Arthur for a moment as she smiled and greeted him as well, then turned to address the white-haired one.

“Grandmother, Selena has brought a guest home, I’ll go prepare a room for him.”

The red-haired elf approached Selena and Arthur, placing an affectionate hand on Selena’s face before she noticed the salve and bandages in Arthur’s hands, taking them from him with a nod and smile, before leaving down the hall.

The older elf turned from her spot at the stove, her eyes meeting Selena’s and sending a silent command to which Selena nodded, taking over the other woman’s place.

Though appearing to be getting on in age, the woman who approached Arthur still moved gracefully, power in her movements and a sharp wit in her green eyes as she assessed Arthur.

“Hello, young one. Welcome to our home, my name is Diana. I am the second oldest woman of the family, Selena’s great-grandmother, and the woman who is making your room is Selena’s mother, and my granddaughter, Cordelia. Please, sit, you must be tired from your journey.”

Diana took a seat next to the woman who had been reading, her book closed and now looking at Arthur with interest. Arthur took a seat across from them, the table seeming to have extended slightly and holding one more chair than it had before.

The oldest woman spoke once Arthur had sat, her voice still clear and sharp even in her older age, her dark eyes shining with intelligence and warmth. 

“Welcome to our home youngling, I am the matriarch of the family, you may call me Aileen. How did you come to find yourself in our village...?”

“Arthur. My name is Arthur. I was traveling home from a trade run with some men from my village when we were attacked by a band of rather fierce goblins. Save for myself and two of the others, everyone was killed in the attack.”

A wave of sadness fell upon the two elves' faces, and they closed their eyes for a moment, saying something in their language before Aileen addressed Arthur again.

“I am so, so sorry dear Arthur. It is always a tragedy when a life is cut short, even more so when it is those close to you. I am glad my Selena found you. I take it your companions are being looked over by someone else?”

Arthur nodded. “Yes, they are being cared for by Princesses Azura and Elise. Thank you for opening your home to me.”

Aileen and Diana smiled, waving their hands as though batting away his thanks. “It is nothing you need to thank Arthur,” Aileen spoke again, “it is a tradition in our village to care for travelers we come across who are lost or injured. We are simply fulfilling a vow we made many, many years ago, long before even I was born.”

“All the same, thank you.”

The elves across from him smiled, seemingly appreciating his sincerity and thanks.

Before more words could be exchanged, the front door to the house opened again, and the sound of more people filled the entryway. 

“And that would be the rest of the family.” Aileen said with a smile as a young girl ran into the room, another woman and three more men following in after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s chapter two. Sorry if the ending of this chapter feels awkward, I wasn’t sure how to end it but it was getting just, so long and I needed to break it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so here I introduce Selena’s entire family, hopefully it’s not too confusing, basically it is as follows
> 
> Declan/Aileen - Great-great Grandparents (I’m planning on Declan having Scottish and Irish influences in his speech, at least when he’s angry or otherwise worked up, or speaking with older elves. I’m trying to do my research so he doesn’t come off as a caricature or offensive. I may not end up doing this after all, but just in case I do, I wanna mention it here).  
> Alfred/Diana - Great grandparents  
> Ashe/Petra - Grandparents (Yes this is one of my favorite ships from FE3H. I used their characters because it’s easier for me to look up an existing character portrait than create an entirely new one in my head.)  
> Henry/Cordelia - Parents  
> Luna - Selena’s younger sister. Basically, Selena’s appearance is Henry!Severa from Awakening and Luna is Selena’s appearance from Fates, though her hair is not in pigtails.
> 
> I also wanna mention here that Subaki is a Grade-A asshole in this story. Like, just really stuck up and arrogant and he does some stuff that is Not good. Is it obvious that I don’t like his character in Fates? Anyway, he’s also a dick to Selena and to various extents her family, so if this will make you unhappy then don’t read this anymore.

* * *

The little girl who ran into the room looked almost identical to Selena, though her hair was the same deep red color as Cordelia’s and she wore it in a braid and appeared to be no more than 10 years old, though Arthur knew that in reality, she must be much older.

“Grandmas!” The girl squealed, running over to the table to give Aileen and Diana each a kiss on the cheek.

“Who is this?” the girl asked, her eyebrows raising when her gaze fell on Arthur.

“Luna, this is Arthur,” Diana answered, patting the girl’s head, “Your sister found him in the woods today, he’s going to be staying with us for a while.”

“One of my classmates hosted a human 2 years ago. Mister Arthur, where are you from?”

“Now now Luna,” Aileen chastised, though her eyes were gentle, “Don’t pester our guest right now. We will be eating soon, go wash up.”

Luna nodded, running down the hall where the other rooms were, disappearing through one of the doors.

During this exchange, the other members of the family who had walked in had gone into the kitchen and washed their hands in the sink there, and made their way over and each took a seat at the table. The white raven that had been outside came in perched on one of the men’s shoulders, and flew over to a perch in the corner, watching over the family with intelligent eyes.

The man the bird had come in on, a younger-looking white-haired man sat one seat away and to the right of Arthur, and leaned over, putting his hand out.

“My name’s Henry, it’s a pleasure to have you here.” the man said, shaking Arthur’s hand. Arthur was surprised to note by his ears that this man was not an elf, but a human.

“Nya-ha, yep, I’m a human, or what our village calls an extended-human. I’m Selena and Luna’s father by the way. I work in the village as a mage, you could say that magic is kinda my thing.”

The others who joined the table then introduced themselves. 

Selena’s great grandfather introduced himself as Alfred, husband to Diana and son of Aileen, his hair a platinum blonde that was trimmed short, his eyes a sort of light brown color, more a burnt orange than anything else.

Next were Selena’s grandparents, Ashe and Petra, Cordelia’s parents. Ashe was the son of Alfred and Diana, his hair a silvery blue, falling to about the same length as Henry’s, though his hair was styled so that the front bit fell into his eyes, one side combed back.

Unlike the rest of the family, Petra’s skin tone was more a light brown color, reminiscent of the color of sand on a beach. Her thick maroon-colored hair was held in a high, neat ponytail, cascading down her back to just below her armpits. Like the rest of the older elves, her eyes held a sharp intelligence, though the look was warm and welcoming as she greeted Arthur.

It was at that moment that Selena’s mother Cordelia walked back in, greeting the rest of the family and walking over to Selena, checking the status of the dinner and calling for assistance as Selena turned the stove off.

The family flew into motion, all of them except for Aileen standing up to help out, one of them taking out serving dishes and utensils, another one silverware, dinner plates, and cups. The others began arranging the prepared food into the serving dishes and brought them to the table, and a pitcher of water was brought from a cold storage box.

The sound of a childish voice floated into the room as Luna returned, holding the hand of an old elf man. Like Aileen, what was left of his hair had faded to a dark shade of grey, his icy blue eyes creating a striking look. A mischievous grin broke across the man’s face as his gaze fell upon Arthur, eyes sparkling as he took a seat to the immediate left of Arthur at the head of the table.

“Well hello laddie,” the old elf man greeted, his eyes flicking over Arthur’s face, “Little Luna was telling me our Selena found you in our woods today. The name’s Declan, I’m the patriarch of this family, I hope you find your stay with us pleasant.”

“Thank you, sir.” Arthur replied, the family around him already serving themselves and each other. Selena moved to stand in between Declan and Aileen, scooping a serving of what appeared to be some sort of meat stew onto their plates, before taking a seat directly to Arthur’s right, scooping a serving of the dish onto his own plate. 

The family and Arthur began tucking in, speaking casually for no more than 5 minutes before the door to the home opened again.

The table lost its cheery atmosphere, the happy faces becoming more subdued and neutral as Selena stood, another elf man stepping into the main room.

“Welcome home Subaki.” Selena greeted, a smile on her face that seemed to lack the happiness of before. “You’re home earlier than you said you’d be. Will you be joining us for dinner?”

The elf, Subaki, smiled at Selena’s question, and though it was a charming smile, it lacked warmth. His gaze slipped from Selena to Arthur, and a look of disgust flashed over Subaki’s features before it was gone, his face again carrying that charming, albeit cold smile.

“Yes I’ll be joining you all, though I have to eat quickly, I’m needed at the palace again soon.”

Selena nodded, and she gathered another table setting from the kitchen, placing it down in front of Subaki as he sat at the other end of the table.

The family resumed eating, though there was notably less conversation, and eyes flicked from Subaki to their guest and back again, unsettling Arthur.

Subaki finished quickly as he said he would, and wiping his mouth with a napkin, stood and put his dinnerware into the sink, before turning back to the family.

“I’m off again. Selena, I’ll be late so don’t wait up.”

With that, Subaki walked out to the entryway, the shuffle of him donning his shoes echoing back before the sound of the door opening and closing signified his departure.

The tense atmosphere around the table lifted almost instantly as the family simultaneously let out sighs, the tension previously held in the postures melting away.

“I’m sorry Arthur, it’s not usually like this in the village.” Selena muttered, raising her cup to her lips and taking a sip of water.

“Erm... Did I do something wrong?”

“Heavens no, child.” Diana quickly corrected, her eyebrows furrowing. “You’ve done nothing wrong. In fact, I encourage you to completely ignore Subaki and his behavior.”

“Really,” Alfred continued, when Arthur still looked worried, “It’s nothing you did, we promise, Subaki is just... like that.”

“He hates humans.” Ashe said frankly, a scowl overcoming his features, “In fact, he comes from a village that very much looks down on Mankind. He only came here as a part of a temporary defense agreement, and then he  _ had _ to go and marry Selena.”

“It’s my fault, really. If it wasn’t for me he would have never married her.”

“Stop with that, dear,” Aileen snapped in response to Petra’s lament, giving her a stern but non-hostile look. “You had no knowledge that your parents had given your hand to someone else. It is not your fault that Subaki came to collect on a promise that should have been voided when you married Ashe.”

“Grandma, I don’t blame you,” Selena said softly, sending a reassuring smile to Petra. “And you and Grandpa Ashe are so happy together. I’m glad you two ended up together. After all, I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

At Selena’s words, Ashe’s hand came up to close over Petra’s, and they smiled at each other gently when they made eye contact, what could only be described as a soft glow surrounding them in their moment together.

“Still, I’m annoyed the little fuck just  _ had _ to go and marry you, Selena,” Declan scowled, stabbing his fork into his food, “I’m pretty confident he only did it because he felt threatened by your personality, and when he found out exactly  _ who _ you were, the granddaughter to the elf that was supposed to have married his granddad, well... it was the perfect opportunity to try and “tame” you if you will.”

Selena scoffed. “Tame me”? That’ll never happen.”

At this Declan gave a short, bitter laugh. “Selena, we can all see he has dampened your spirit already, and you’ve not been married for even two full years yet!”

Selena frowned, but before she could say anything more her mother cut her off.

“Enough of this talk. We can’t do anything now, what’s done is done. At the very least take comfort that he's not home often. Now, tuck in everyone.”

The rest of the family acquiesced to Cordelia’s request, the energy subdued only for a moment more, before Luna started asking Arthur questions about his life, and just like that dinner resumed, the interruption forgotten.

* * *

Later that night as Arthur was preparing for bed, trying to wrap a bandage around the reapplied salve, there was a knock at the door, opening up to reveal Selena.

“Arthur, I’m supposed to be helping you with the salve and bandages. Here, let me.”

Arthur handed over the bandage to Selena, letting her wrap it around the wound.

“I wanted to apologize about dinner and Subaki.”

“It’s alright, I honestly feel sorta bad that your family revealed such a personal thing about you to me, a stranger.”

Selena shook her head. “It’s not that. Our community is very tight-knit and information is shared freely... I’m just embarrassed that you had to see Subaki behave that way. He knows the rules of the village, and yet he only just tolerates it. I don’t want you to feel unwelcome in this house.”

“Ah, don’t worry about that. I’ll be fine, as long as I’m not imposing on you and your family.”

Selena smiled, laying a hand on his bicep, before heading for the door.

“Sleep well Arthur, tomorrow we will meet up with the others for a tour of the village. Good night.”

“G’night.”

With that, Selena left, closing the door gently behind her.

Arthur switched off the light, climbing into the bed. He thought of that night’s dinner again, remembering how Subaki’s presence chased away the happy atmosphere almost instantly, and the relief the family had when he left. Arthur remembered the seeming lack of affection between Subaki and Selena and wondered if what Declan had said about Subaki marrying Selena as just revenge was true. If it  _ was _ , that was just...sad.

Arthur’s eyes began to drift shut, the events of the day catching up with him, and pretty soon he fell into a deep sleep, and the last thing that slipped through his mind was how lucky the situation for him and his friends ended up being.


End file.
